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User blog:The Bespectacled Guy/BRBH 3: Nick Drake VS Lou Reed MEANINGS
Link to the actual battle Lou Reed: You can face me if you want, but it sure won't be easy, (Reed allows Drake to challenge him, but lets him know that beating him will be difficult.) I've inspired everyone from David Bowie to Yeezy. (When Reed died, numerous musicians came forth to state how much he had influenced them. This included the likes of David Bowie, Kanye West, Morrissey, former bandmate John Cale and, oddly, Miley Cyrus.) You're a virgin folk singer, with hipsters for fans, (Debates about Drake's sexuality have raged on for decades, with some suggesting that he never had sex, though many others close to him claim this is untrue. Here, Reed insults him for this, and also notes how Drake's music has become a favourite of many hipsters.) I'll beat you senseless, then drown you in the nearest river. Man, (Reed states his gruesome plans for what to do with Drake. Reed's songs were often very dark, and this line reflects that, while also making reference to Drake's song, "River Man".) You got one droning voice, and an out-of-tune guitar, (Reed insults Drake for his voice and guitar tuning, two of the most important reasons for Drake's fame.) Played two chords too many, and you never got far! (Lou Reed once stated, "One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz." Since his death, Drake has become notorious for his complex guitar tuning and playing, which Reed unfavourably discusses. He also says about how Drake only became well-known after his death.) See, the English can't write good music, that's what I've found, (Reed once also said, "I never really liked any British group, I don't think the British should play rock and roll... I never took British rock and roll seriously and I still don't".) So sorry Nick, but you can't compete with the Velvet Underground! (Reed finishes his verse by stating that he believes Drake cannot hope to beat him, stating that his former band, the Velvet Underground, are far better than what Drake ever produced.) Nick Drake: You'd think a man who can't sing would be a decent MC, (Reed was better known for his songwriting than his singing. Needless to say, he was never exactly brilliant at it. Drake notes this, while stating that Reed's lack of ability would seemingly mean he'd make a good rapper.) But your rapping sucks more than that 'Machine Music' LP. (In 1975, Reed released an experimental album entitled "Metal Machine Music". Today, it is almost universally regarded as being one of the worst albums of all time. Basically, Drake is stating that his opponent's rapping is beyond abysmal.) I've inspired generations with my songs of fear and mystery, (Drake only released three albums, "Five Leaves Left", "Bryter Layter" and "Pink Moon", but all of them are widely thought to be among the greatest albums of all time. Many artists, such as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, The Cure, Coldplay, Keane and Lucinda Williams, have cited him as an influence on them.) Forty years since my passing, and I've gone down in history. (Drake says that his fanbase has caused him to be remembered, despite the forty years that have passed since he died.) Your poetry and lyrics were always pretentious, (Reed was often accused of pretention by the media.) Until your Day was Done, you seemed deeply contentious, (Reed often argued and fought with people, making him very contentious indeed. The line also makes reference to Drake's song "Day Is Done".) And your drug addiction quickly spiralled out of control! (Reed struggled with an addiction to hard drugs and alcohol for years. He was forced to undergo a liver transplant a few months before his death as a result of it.) You Walked On The Wild Side, and it took its toll! (Drake concludes his verse by summing up all he's said in the past few lines; Reed lived life too dangerously, and suffered because of it. This also references Reed's hit song "Walk On The Wild Side".) Lou Reed: 'Gone down in history'? You've said a load of shit in this fight, (Reed references Drake's earlier line and speaks scornfully of it.) You'll soon be forgotten, but you're going down all right! (Reed says that Drake will not actually be remembered by future generations, as Drake suggested previously, but that he was correct when he said he was "going down", meaning he will lose to Reed.) You think you're classy, but I'd say more a privileged fuck, (Drake came from a wealthy background, whereas Reed did not, which Reed points out.) A creepy lanky freak who shares a name with a duck! (Drake was about 6'3 and very thin, and his long scraggly hair and strange smile makes him seem a little creepy in retrospect, hence Reed's initial comments. A 'drake' is a male duck, which Reed also jokes about.) Your songs are as boring as the sad man who wrote them, (Reed says that Drake's songs and personality are boring, in contrast with his own life.) I'm a rock star, bitch, you're a momma's boy left broken (Reed praises himself, while calling Drake a "momma's boy". It's certainly true that Drake did record some duets with his mother, and he was still living at home when he died.) By your lack of success. You said fame was like a Fruit Tree, (Drake fell into very deep depression when his albums didn't sell well. Here, Reed hearkens back to Drake's song "Fruit Tree", in which Drake states his disapproval of fame and fortune.) But when records didn't sell, you called it quits and OD'd! (Reed finishes by accusing Drake of hypocrisy - he initially sang of his dislike of the idea of fame, but became depressed and frustrated when he didn't become famous. Reed mentions how Drake died, by overdosing on anti-depressants in his own bedroom.) Nick Drake: Your entire career was one endless trail of rubbish! (Drake criticises Reed for having a poor discography throughout his lifetime. If critics are to be believed, it's certainly inconsistent, at the very least.) Made more trash with Metallica, but you still wouldn't stop it, (In 2011, Reed recorded an album with Metallica, called "Lulu". It was panned by critics and fans alike. Drake wonders why Reed didn't just give up on performing when he had the chance.) 'Cause you continued your job 'till your liver couldn't pull through, (Reed continued performing to crowds and audiences, even travelling at one point as part of a group called the 'Metal Machine Trio' in reference to Reed's earlier album, until his death from a liver disease.) It would seem your booze and Heroin had finally caught up to you! (Drake mentions once more how Reed abused his body with drugs and alcohol, and also makes reference to the Velvet Underground song "Heroin".) I died a martyr for the outsider, and now I rise to renown, (Drake has been idolised by 'outsiders' in the years since his death, given his seemingly introverted nature and depression. The phrase "and now I rise to renown" is similar to the phrase "and now we rise" in his song "From The Morning", which are also the words inscribed on his gravestone.) You died a martyr for the junkie, and the drugs brought you down. (Reed's drugs are mentioned again, with Drake contrasting the two men's legacies unfavourably.) Your sinful life has been laid out, plain for all to see, (Drake states that he has demonstrated how Reed lived his rock-'n'-roll lifestyle to its fullest extent.) Now your win would be as 'shocking' as your adolescent therapy! (As a teenager, Reed underwent electroconvulsive therapy, which his parents believed would cure him of his bisexuality. Instead, it left him sickened. He refused to speak of the matter in interviews, and later wrote a song about it, entitled "Kill Your Sons". Drake recalls this, while also stating that Reed's poor rapping has now lost him any chance of beating Drake.) Category:Blog posts